Canberra A League Team?

Do people reckon anyone would support an A league soccer team in Canberra? I’m from England and, despite what your press would have you believe, rugby and cricket are just minority side-issue sports over there and they bore me rigid…

[Ed (Kramer) - Everyone please me kind to FredJ, he must be suffering from heatstroke.]

It’s not just *our* press…I quite enjoyed the Rugby channel on TV when I stayed in London. Soccer was certainly No.1 though, yes. Rugby League was almosy unheard of, despite the fact there was a “world cup” on while I was there. Personally, it’s soccer that bores me rigid….that said, I think there’s reasonable support for an A League team here..I’d probably venture out to watch them once or twice myself even.

FredJ, There would be some support for an A-League team here. Canberra has some very good football(soccer) teams here and a lot of players have come from and/or have spent time in Canberra , Carl Valeri, Lindsay Wilson even Joe Simunic (croatia) to name a few. Canberra also has a lot of registered players ,although most would be juniors…

The problem we have in Canberra is that we are really not loyal to our sporting teams. Canberra loves a winning team, no matter what sport, unfortunately when that team doesn’t win the Canberra support starts to falter. There is always the hardcore fans that would a support their team no matter what, but I dont think that they are enough to be viable.

Unfortunately, in the world of proffessional sport (especially Football) money talks. I dont see Canberra as being big enough. Being able to drum up enough support to draw crowds in through the gate week in and week out might be a bit of a problem.

Having said that, I hope that I am wrong. I would love to see an A-League team here.

FredJ now that you’ve left the Motherland it’s time to embrace real football – Aussie Rules.
May I suggest you support the mighty Hawthorn Football Club. Jump on board the Buddy express because all spots are almost gone

They (Cosmos) averaged 2 or 3 thousand a game each season…I reckon an A League team would easily double that (higher profile of the comp) without even trying. With some promotion (& yes, some good results) I’m sure they’d pull enough punters through the gates to make it viable. The Brumbies still get around 14000 (at a time when they’re not as good as they once were), Raiders probably get around 8000 or so a game (bit of a guess). We’re not all that fickle as a crowd really.

Axe Man: I lived in Melbourne for a year. Couldn’t get into AFL there, so don’t think there’s much hope up here. Even went to a Carlton, Collingwood game at the G with 98,000 others (interesting but still not my cup of tea).

They (Cosmos) averaged 2 or 3 thousand a game each season…I reckon an A League team would easily double that (higher profile of the comp) without even trying.

True. It’s a different playing field (no pun intended) with the A League. I’m just wondering how any corporate sponsors out there with long memories may have their enthusiasm tempered by history.

I know nothing of local football politics or finances so can’t comment on how a business model might be put together/hang together.

But it needs grass roots support from football supporters, and I don’t believe you don’t get that by consigning all the viewing rights to Pay TV. (OK, so I’m starting to get REALLY desperate about where to find the Netherlands game live on Sunday morning! Tried one of those links last night in the previous ‘Football’ blog and luckily my security system caught the virus that tried to piggy-back its way onto my laptop.)

“I lived in Melbourne for a year. Couldn’t get into AFL there, so don’t think there’s much hope up here. Even went to a Carlton, Collingwood game at the G with 98,000 others (interesting but still not my cup of tea).”

I used to play Australian Rules as a kiddie, but I just find it a bit scary as an adult that people can take it so seriously. (And I realise the hypocrisy (spelling?) in that as I’ve gone to extraordinary lengths to watch World Cup and Euro games at all silly hours of the night.)

Nine years ago I too went to a game at the MCG (only Australians could find a way to abbreviate ‘MCG’!) and while the game was a spectacle, the way the supporters carried on was surreal. Put me off for ages, though I’ve since been to a couple of games.

The link later in the ‘Football’ thread might be kosher, but I sort of got cold feet after the first experience. One of the few times I’ve seen my live virus killer spring into action and snavel something coming in. I went and renewed my security centre subscription immediately!

As for Sunday, it might be radio, sad to say. Last time I listened to a football match on radio was in the car in a camping ground at Antwerp, sweating on Nederland qualifying for the 1994 World Cup. Every TV set in Antwerp was (quite reasonably) switched onto the Belgian game. It just ain’t the same on radio.

Oh, and while I’m about it, I’m taking this piece from my previous post out (“..and I don’t believe you don’t get that..”) and having it shot! Don’t not never use double negatives.

Australia’s going well at the moment – that might help increase Canberra’s interest in soccer.

And while we’re here – both “soccer” and “football” are appropriate terms. I am informed by a half-Welshman that soccer is a British shorthand version of “Association Football” ie the ‘soc’ bit in asSOCiation.

And while we’re here – both “soccer” and “football” are appropriate terms. I am informed by a half-Welshman that soccer is a British shorthand version of “Association Football” ie the ‘soc’ bit in asSOCiation.

Correct, though (and Fred can pull me up here if I’m wrong), it’s totally lost currency in the UK and the rest of the world (130+ national associations) refer to it as ‘football’. Australia and the USA are the only/main abstainers.

I only lived in England for a year, but any time I used the phrase ‘soccer’, I got blank stares and baffled queries. ‘What was that about your socks?!’

The A-League is a whole new ball game. Crowds have sharply increased for all the A-League ‘cities’ accept for Perth who have not been able to get their act together. Canberra could do well in the A-League and I think they would attract a decent crowd but money (sponsorship) is the main problem.

I hear that the last Chair of the Canberra Cosmos, Danny Moulis, is Chairing a Capital Football backed committee to investigate a Canberra team for the A-League but has failed to deliver anything.

BTW…the Central Coast Mariners are playing the ACT Rockets in a friendly at Canberra FC’s new ground (in Deakin) next Friday (27 June) at 7pm.

an a-league team in canberra is inevitable, just a matter of three or seven years, or whatever… the a-league have sponsored (for want of better term) a national youth league next season and the wellington phoenix, not being an australian side, are ineligible, so are behind a canbera-based squad, so we’ll get to see a raft of future a-league stars in action. this will only bolster a sooner establishment of a nueve-cosmos, so get behind it and put your behind on a seat. i guess they’ll play at mckellar? anyone know?

BTW…the Central Coast Mariners are playing the ACT Rockets in a friendly at Canberra FC’s new ground (in Deakin) next Friday (27 June) at 7pm.

I went to see the Mariners play Sydney FC at Canberra Stadium in a friendly just after the euphoria of the World Cup 2006, expecting the place to be packed, and was really surprised it was so poorly attended. Of course, a friendly is nothing to judge a comp game with.

“and i still rekkun the azzurri will triumph in vienna.”

I reckon/hope you’re right, astrojax. I just hope it’s played openly and doesn’t degenerate into a defensive 90min dour mid-field game of keep-ball. Either way, I might drag my lazy derriere down to the Italo-Aust club in the early hours of Monday. At least I know for sure they will be showing that game.

The Raiders are by far not the lowest crowd numbers in the NRL, I reckon the average around 12,000 for a game at Bruce.

Canberrans are very poor supporters of sport. The Brumbys will be in Melbourne within five years, the AFL has cut back the number of games we get from three to two. Launceston has more AFL games than us and we have three times the population. Canberra will get a team in the A League right after Bundanoon does.

Soccer is really really boring. The only reason anyone plays it here is their mum wouldn’t let them play tackle till they went to High School. Thats why theres so many junior teams but hardly any seniors.

The Raiders are by far not the lowest crowd numbers in the NRL, I reckon the average around 12,000 for a game at Bruce.

Canberrans are very poor supporters of sport. The Brumbys will be in Melbourne within five years, the AFL has cut back the number of games we get from three to two. Launceston has more AFL games than us and we have three times the population. Canberra will get a team in the A League right after Bundanoon does.

Soccer is really really boring. The only reason anyone plays it here is their mum wouldn’t let them play tackle till they went to High School. Thats why theres so many junior teams but hardly any seniors.

12,000 for games with high profile clubs maybe, I’ve seen some creative counting of crouds when I’ve been to them, they claim 12,000 when you look around the ground is hardly 1/4 full which would put it about 8,000 at most.

Canberrans are only supporters of teams that win, that’s why nobody has supported the Raiders in more than 10 years, Brumbies are dropping off, and we lost the old soccer team the Cosmos and the NBL Cannons. As for the AFL, it’s the teams that cut the matches back not the AFL, people jumped behind the kangaroos when they played here then the QLD government offered them more $$. Launceston gets more people to games as they are AFL heartland, it’s the main football code and they love St Kilda and Hawthorn, though they’re also bankrolled by the govt.

Totally agree with the boring soccer comment though, while more skill than stop and start throwy what’s the point of running around for 90mins and not scoring?!

Buy an HD recorder (or use you ‘puter) and tune into SBS and/or get Pay-tv. Simply watch at a more reasonable hour. There’s a huge gap between what the A-league provides and what you’re no doubt used to.

well, morgan, there’s your problem. if you think soccer is boring then you’re hardly likely to come to an a-league game anyway and this thread is prob’ly not one you should comment on. association football is an enthralling sport when played well – as it can be, and is, in the a-league and the while there are many games that end 0-0, this in itself is no reason to adjudge them ‘boring’. the 2000 european champions league final ended 0-0 after 90 mins and after a further 30 mins and was one of the most enthralling pieces of entertainment i’ve ever witnessed.

many people who say they like cricket ’cause 20twenty turns them on wouldn’t be arsed sitting through even one day of a test, but that doesn’t diminish a test’s capacity to enthrall, either.

it is the continuing presence of ‘potential’ that captivates in fusbol, and makes the stakes that much higher – a slight error can be of enormous significance, massive, so the margins are very fine. that’s the point bd84 of running around for 90 mins. a game for the mind with a bent to tragedy and theatre, the stuff of life. s’good.

I’ve given up trying to counter the ‘soccer is boring’ garbage. I couldn’t even be bothered trotting out here the reasons why I agree with you.

Suffice to say that some of the most thrilling games I’ve seen are 0-0 draws. One ECL match involving Celtic a couple of years ago springs to mind; edge of your seat stuff. And in round robin stages of tournaments, there can be much more drama in achieving a 0-0 draw then a high-scoring, one-sided wipeout.

It will happen, with the A Largue being such a success, corporates are wanting a slice of the action (even in non Corporate Canberra) and now FFA have got rid of the ethnicicity that plagued the game over here it’s full steam ahead. Welcome to Canberra Fred

Soccer failed previously in Canberra and would fail again. I also suspect that the Raiders will end up with a crowd average higher than the Brumbies in 2008… in a few years time, the Brumbies will move to Melbourne as the core support (without bandwagoners) isn’t large enough for union.

> I also suspect that the Raiders will end up with a crowd average higher than the Brumbies in 2008

I doubt it…& I mean no disrespect to the Raiders. I reckon the Brumbies will have a decent year & with crowds around 14000 this year, I can’t see them going down from there. The Raiders may pick up, but not to up over 15000 averages.

rekkun the winner will come from the spain vs guus, err russia, game. too hard to pick that one, neither result will surprise and rekkun it may go to the spot. again. at this rate, i’ll have no nails soon…

i rekkun the overall crowd and community backing of both league and union will see one or both codes go under in due season (as our learned PM mutters too often). fusbol will supercede both and afl is far too institutionalised, and growing, to be likely to succumb. i may be wrong – it has happened – and will be maybe a decade off yet, but the disaster of the national rugby comp, things not looking great for them…

Actually, listening to the end of the Spain vs Italy match on the radio while watching the scrolling comments on soccernet.com and bbc.co.uk wasn’t as bad as I imagined.

I reckon it’s a race in three now. You’d have to be pretty optimistic to rate Turkey a chance now. When they’re talking about a reserve goalkeeper possibly coming off the bench to play in the field, you know things are getting pretty dire.

As a neutral, I guess I’d like to see Ruski Guus get his boyskis over the line. Can you imagine the scenes in Russia if they did, especially since they’re due to host Euro 2012, if I remember rightly.

I’m slightly immune to interstaters overlooking the Raiders in the media as I’m typically watching Sky News or Fox Sports when in Sydney or Brisbane (or elsewhere), and they seem to be fairly balanced in their coverage.